The Knicks were already without one key starter in Jalen Brunson.
And less than five minutes into Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat, they lost another.
OG Anunoby suffered a left hamstring strain during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden and did not return.
The forward subbed out at the 6:52 mark of the opening quarter, with Josh Hart replacing him. Anunoby would go to the Knicks’ locker room before the Knicks ruled him out before the start of the second quarter.
Anunoby scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting with three rebounds before he exited.
It’s another blow to a Knicks team that was missing Brunson due to a Grade 1 right ankle sprain, which he suffered in the waning minutes of Wednesday’s 124-107 loss to the Orlando Magic.
The Knicks have not given a timetable for Brunson to return and are evaluating the star point guard’s status on a daily basis.
Anunoby entered Friday averaging 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while delivering his typical standout defense.
Earlier in the week, head coach Mike Brown advocated for Anunoby to earn an All-Star selection, which would be the nine-year NBA veteran’s first.
Anunoby started each of the Knicks’ first 12 games, though he’s had to deal with injuries throughout his career, including an ankle issue that he played through this season.
In the 2024 playoffs, a left hamstring strain kept Anunoby out of four games during the Knicks’ second-round series against the Indiana Pacers.
Anunoby returned for the Knicks’ season-ending Game 7 loss in that series, though he was visibly hobbled and ultimately played less than five minutes before checking out for good.
